Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Risk constructs based on psychological risk factors (eg, pain catastrophizing, PC) and sensitization risk factors (eg, pressure pain threshold, PPT) are important in research and clinical practice. Most research looks at individual constructs but does not consider how different constructs might interact within the same individual. An evaluation of the cumulative impact of psychological and sensitization risk factors on pain-related outcomes may help guide us in the risk assessment of patients with pain conditions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cumulative impact of these psychological (PC) and sensitization (PPT) risk factors on pain-related outcomes (activity avoidance, pain severity, and disability) considering covariates. ⋯ The study suggests both higher level of PC and pressure sensitivity have a cumulative impact on risk screening for pain-related outcomes, considering gender in functional avoidance (task-related outcome). A clinical presentation with high-PC (one dimension of risk) is not associated with high-PPT (another dimension of risk). This finding has important clinical and theoretical implications.
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Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRG-S) is used as a treatment for chronic low-back pain (CLBP), although its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. CLBP patients have been found to have reduced mechanoreceptive perception, reduced endogenous analgesia, as well as deep-tissue hyperalgesia when compared with healthy controls. Using quantitative sensory testing (QST), we studied if DRG-S in CLBP patients results in changes in pain processing. ⋯ Our results suggest that DRG-S in CLBP patients reduces deep-tissue hyperalgesia in the low back, while improving mechanoreceptive perception. These changes in both neuropathic and nociceptive components of CLBP were accompanied by clinical improvements in pain and function.
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Evaluate the Pain Impact Index, a simple, brief, easy-to-use, and novel tool to assess the impact of chronic pain in community-dwelling older adults. ⋯ The Pain Impact Index showed evidence of unidimensionality, was able to successfully differentiate between levels of pain impact, and had good evidence of construct validity.
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The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) is often used in clinical settings to screen for the presence of central sensitization. However, various cutoff scores have been reported for this tool, and scores have not been consistently associated with widespread pain sensitivity as measured with quantitative sensory testing (QST). The purpose of this study was to compare QST profiles among asymptomatic controls and participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), and to determine the association between self-report questionnaires and QST in participants with CMP. ⋯ A cutoff score of 33.5 on the CSI may be useful for discriminating widespread pain sensitivity and quality of life impairments in participants with CMP. Future studies should consider how the presence of high or low CSI may impact differential diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment responsiveness for patients with primary or secondary CMP.
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Oxaliplatin often causes acute or chronic peripheral neuropathy in patients with an intestinal or pancreatic tumor, but in-depth insights in its influence on quality of life (QoL) are lacking. We explored the influence of acute oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) on daily QoL in these patients. ⋯ Acute OIPN, together with other side effects of chemotherapeutic treatment and the difficulties that come with the diagnosis of cancer and its prognosis, largely influences patients' daily QoL. Managing expectations (by patient education) seems important.